I'm creating an "alpha rod" for a music festival, basically a large stick that my friends can see from afar and know where we are so we don't lose each other. I want to program an LED light strip for it.

I've found a lot of tutorials for programming the lights to pulse to music that is directly connected to the audio source, but nothing that helps with programming it with external sound sources. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions on where to start!

Thanks. I've never really understood pompous replies from people who know a lot about a subject. Putting the word "microphone" in quotes is not only incredibly unhelpful, but also condescending. I've received a lot of great replies elsewhere, but thanks for leaving a bad taste in my mouth about this place, and confirming my distaste for specialized forums.